My Goals For 2018

10/02/18

I think my 2018 might have peaked around three hours into January the first, when I y’know, birthed a small child, but nonetheless I thought it might be nice to lay out a few personal goals for the year.

It’s always a lovely wee blog post to write and then reflect back on at the end of the year, innit?

And I always find it inspires me to get my head in the game of life and focus on the things I actually want – gives me a bit of motivation to actually crack on and stop lazing on the sofa thinking about nachos whilst googling Teen Mom news. No you need to get a life.

Oh and you’ll have to excuse the fact this post is going live in February. I feel like I spent January in a prolonged state of Christmas limbo. I napped, I ate Christmas chocolate and I was off work. It was pretty bloody bliss if ya can ignore the whole sleep deprivation thing.

Anyway, GOALS. Let’s go.

UPGRADE MY CAMERA

Whilst me and my gal Olympus Pen have been in an exclusive relationship for the past few years, I think the time has come for me to move on. Soz hun, it’s not you, it’s me.

I’ve actually had three of their infamous E-PL7 cameras (broke one, had one stolen), which just goes to show how well it’s been loved. But recently I’ve been shooting with Chloe on her v v snazzy new Canon and YES PLEASE JUST TAKE MY MONEY.

I feel ready to take my blog photography to the next level, and whilst it’s all very well and good borrowing hers when we shoot together in the glam ghetto of Ipswich town centre, it’d be nice to have my own to shoot flat lays and lifestyle shiz at home, as well as to y’know, shoot with other people.

I’ll stop saying shoot now. This isn’t a Louis Theroux documentary.

FIRST FAMILY HOLIDAY ABROAD

We’ve got a little staycation with the Gale clan lined up for later this spring (our first vaycay with both my older and younger siblings EVER), but am keen to get a lil snippet of vitamin D with Chris and Atti too.

I have no idea where’s good to go with a baby or what age is best to travel at, and it all depends on how much work I take on in the next few months – but it’d be v dreamy to start creating those wonderful family memories somewhere that isn’t our living room.

KEEP ON GROWING

I mean, I’d rather my gunt didn’t grow too much bigger, but if my blog and social channels could keep on going on the incline that’d be just swell.

Obviously as the industry has become more and more saturated and there’s been algorithm changes and whhoknowswhatelse, it’s become harder to make your accounts and your online channels stand out from the crowd.

A lot of fellow bloggers and ‘grammers have found that they flatlined in 2017 or even lost followers, and whilst mine did continue to grow, it’d be super to follow that trend in 2018 too.

Because as much as I enjoy my online world as a creative outlet, it is my business too and I have to think about it in the long-term.

BUY A DESIGNER BAG

Gah I hate myself for saying this because I never thought I’d be the sort of gal to place possessions over experiences, but I’d really like to treat myself to something special in the bag department.

I wanted to scream FUCK IT and YOLO and LOL LOL LOL WHO NEEDS DA MONEY at the end of 2017 to celebrate a pretty intense year (lost my nan, won a v special blog award, was on front cover of magazine, grew a baby), but suddenly came over all sensible Susan and decided to save my money as a maternity leave safety net.

I want to make sure that whatever I invest in gets a lot of use but still feels me. I’m thinking maybe red as a I use my cheapo red Mango bag almost every day – I also love the Gucci Soho Disco bag and the JW Anderson Logo bag but reckon at this stage it’s worth waiting for something new and spectacular yet timeless to hit the scene.

FIND A DECENT WORK/LIFE BALANCE

Obviously a lot of this year is completely up in the air because I have only just begun on my wild, wild journey of balancing being a full-time baby mama with being a full-time blogger – and I’ve no idea how I’ll strike the balance.

I want to be a 10/10 mum, but at the same time I think a lot of setting a good example for your child comes down to making sure you’re making yourself happy too. So I guess I want to show ambition, determination and hard-work, but I also want to be there. Who bloody knows, eh?

SEND MORE POST

One thing I noted in the aftermath of having a baby was how very kind people were with their cards, flower deliveries and cute surprise pressies.

I for one, am utterly shit at a) keeping hold of people’s addresses once they’ve given them to me and b) actually buying a card/present and then wrapping it and getting it to the post office once I’ve had the OMG BRILLIANT idea of sending something. Basically what I’m trying to say is I’m a bit lazy, and I don’t want to be lazy, I want to be thoughtful.

So this year I’m going to be better with pals and family. I’ll remember birthdays and send cheer-up-you-mega-babe parcels just ‘cos, so watch this space.

And aside from that? I want to remember to take time for myself, I want to remember to not be latched onto my phone like some sort of crazed addict, and I want to be a good girlfriend, the kind who says compliments and does the washing up once in a blue moon and doesn’t moan about boring shit, y’know? I want to be kind and helpful and I’d like to be generous, both with my time, my attention and with the way I treat people.